She was in Love
by FaeQueen84
Summary: How long does it take to realize you love someone?  Total fluff and plot.  Rated for safety.  Sort of a prequel to "Losing an apartment, Gaining a House key"


She was in love.

How long does it take to realize you love someone?

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, I'm just a spoony bard.

There came a day that Haruno Sakura found herself in love with Uzumaki Naruto. It was some slow realization of the evolution of their friendship, and many of their friends were in on the betting pool of how long it would take the two of them to 'hook up'. Most thought Sakura would just give in to Naruto's constant asking for a date. Of course, Shikamaru won the bet. He said they were already in love, they just didn't know it.

After Naruto had been back from his three year training mission with Jiraiya, Sakura had, of course noticed the immediately obvious differences in him since she'd seen him last. For instance, she had right away noticed he was now taller than she was.

Just after the destruction of Konoha, they were training again. Then, in the middle of their spar, when the morning was beginning to get warm, Naruto started losing layers of clothing. At first she was unfazed. They'd both started sweating and he'd paused to remove his orange jacket, and Sakura had used the moment to take off the sweatshirt she'd worn. Something seemed definitely different about him without it, but she assumed it was because she was still adjusting to the new and improved Naruto. They'd picked up where they had left off with a nod to indicate to each other they were ready.

An hour later Sakura was chasing after the faint trial Naruto had left behind him. The spar from earlier had been a warm up and their focus was practicing hide and seek tactics. It was Sakura's turn to seek and she had been looking for Naruto for forty minutes. She cursed inwardly. It had gotten hot and humid, her bangs stuck to her forehead. As she wiped them from her face as she ran top speed through the treetops, she missed the branch let loose by a proximity trap that suddenly flew out to smack her hard in the face. She lost her footing and fell the twenty feet to the ground, managing to catch her balance and land on her feet in a dexterous miracle.

"Damnnit!" She'd lost the trail now and had to search the area to pick it up again. She picked her way carefully through the ground brush, careful to keep herself hidden in case he was hiding somewhere waiting to ambush her. She could hear water ahead, and everyone knew water was one of the best ways to lose your own trail. She directed her search towards it. The closer she got, the louder it got. She knew it had to be a waterfall. By the time she had located the source, she had still not picked Naruto's trail back up, and she had wasted another fifteen minutes.

Oh but it was worth it. For about thirty seconds Sakura forgot that she was supposed to be looking for Naruto. She'd found one of the old unused bathing springs (out of date because of how far it was from the village). The flora had overgrown, spilling over the ceramic tiles that surrounded the small pool that lay between two layers of waterfall. Lounging in this pool was a golden skinned, blonde haired _god_, shirtless at the very least, his muscled arms draped over the sides, his broad, defined chest rose and fell with the rhythm of his breathing, head leaned back and eyes closed, soaking up the sun.

Some sound must have given her away, and his head shot up, ocean blue eyes shot open, a wide grin spread across a whiskered face, and Sakura found herself staring at the cheerful face of her team mate.

"Hey Sakura-Chan!" he waved to her and lifted himself from the water. Droplets clung to his skin and Sakura's eyes seemed to have a mid of their own as they traveled down the body he was now displaying. His stomach and hips were toned, a slight sprinkle of hair began to trail from a few inches below his navel. He twisted his torso to heave himself out of the pool, and indeed he was naked. His buttocks were two globes of tight flesh that made way to muscular thighs. Sakura's mouth went dry. He dried himself with his shirt and yanked on his pants, oblivious to the dumbfounded look on her face.

"Man I thought you'd never find me! Took you long enough. I ran across this place and couldn't resist. I'm gonna have to come back sometime. I bet you can see the stars real good at night." He was pulling a shirt over that gorgeous frame of his.

Sakura blinked a few times, mentally smacking herself. What the hell had she been thinking? It was just Naruto. A much more grown up Naruto. A rather sexy Naruto. She smacked herself for real this time shaking her head and trying to scrub her mind of the image.

"Whatever. I'm hungry. Let's go get lunch." She turned away from him and headed back towards the village. She didn't admit that she had found him by accident.

"Hay Sakura, how come your face is so red?"

She hit him rather than answer. She wasn't sure she knew the answer.

Try hard as she could, she could not get the mental image of Naruto's naked, wet body from her mind. It haunted her. She spent weeks of nights dreaming about it, waking hot and flustered, privately embarrassed by her own thoughts. It distracted her when he'd take off his shirt during training. She'd catch herself spacing out at the hospital thinking about him. She began to realize things she'd never noticed before.

When she left for missions, he would meet her at the gate to say good-bye and good luck, he was also there upon her return. She was the one he sought out first for good news. She was the one he came to first with problems. He would always listen to her. He didn't spend his time talking to her talking to her breasts. When she was frustrated, he'd let her take it out on him. He didn't think she was weak. One night he had broken down and cried on her shoulder. He'd cried abut Jiraiya, his past, Sauske's betrayal, and the Kyuubi within. She'd held him while he sobbed, his arms holding her as if she would float away if he let go. He'd apologized after, saying he didn't know why he'd done it, he'd never had before.

During the reconstruction, she was sent with Inuzuka Kiba, his ninken companion Akamaru, and Naruto on a top secret messenger mission to the Country of Snow. The message they carried was a duplicate of the recent treaty between the two countries, and the delivery of it would finalize the alliance. The mission took six long months, as they were traveling in strictly civilian means.

They'd fallen into a nice formation. They travelled from village to village, keeping to the main road. When they had to set camp on the trail they shared a tent, with Akamaru sleeping outside, directly in the doorway. Unless of course the weather was foul, in which case, Kiba insisted that his beloved pet join them in the tent.

Their first month marked where they finally left the boarders of the Fire Country and crossed into he boarders of the Country of Sound. From here, their travel would slow considerably. Konoha was still not on the best of terns with the Hidden Village of Sound. The business with the death of the Fourth Hokage had left delegations rather turbulent. It would take them twice as long to travel almost half the distance they had already covered just to keep their identities secret.

The plan was to spend a few days here and there. Sakura and Naruto were posing as siblings looking for a lost relative. Kiba was to act as a hired guide. His rough demeanor, tattooed face, fur lined jacket, fangs, claws, and way with animals suggested something slightly more savage than Sakura and Naruto's deceptively innocent faces.

The further north they traveled, the colder the climate became. By the time they had crossed into the borders of the Snow Country, they had taken to doubling up at night. Kiba bunked with his ninken, and secretly Sakura was glad. Not only did she not want to be covered in dog hair, but Inner Sakura triumphed at spending nights wrapped loosely in Naruto's arms. Always, he was a complete gentleman, never 'accidentally' copping a feel or using half awake-ness as an excuse to rub against her.

They found ways to pass the time in the long hours of travel. They'd play word games, or take turns telling jokes. Kiba came up with a game he called Embarrassed, where the point was to tell an embarrassing story about someone who wasn't present. He thought it would be a fun way to get to know more about the rest of the small group of friends they had formed. By the time the trip was over, Sakura would have some great stores about them.

After three months of having only the company of boys, one of which has a complete lack of modesty for himself and others, Sakura was ecstatic to spend a week in civilization, even if it was thirty below outside. The boys were sharing a room, but Sakura had one to herself, including a private bath, and all the items needed to pamper oneself. She doubted the boys were so lucky.

They were treated as guests of honor. The Daimio had prepared a small festival day during the middle of their stay. It was a formal affair, and unfortunately, Sakura, Kiba and Naruto found they did not have adequate clothing. The day after their arrival in the city, the boys had been escorted by the Daimio himself, and a slew of servants, to the local Bazar. Sakura's escort was the ruler's wife, and another slew of servants. She was mildly surprised by the woman when she spoke to her as an equal.

Her name was Kira, and her marriage had been one of both political reasons, and luckily enough, love. She was as tall as Sakura, with long brown hair and amber eyes. She was statuesque, graceful and beautiful. They walked ahead of the servants, and the crowded streets parted for them, the people recognizing Kira and moving out of her way. They made their way to a kimono shop, the window displaying a gown of white and gold silk.

"This is a very good shop." Kira told her. "They will help us choose the perfect gowns for the occasion. The gown in the window, that was my wedding kimono. They display it to show their pride in their work."

Kira ushered Sakura into the shop where attendants met them and escorted the party to a private room. There, Sakura and Kira were stripped to their undergarments for measuring and fitting. The shop already had Kira's measurements and set about immediately laying out many kimonos in front of her to choose. Sakura noticed the strange looks a few of the shop attendants gave her when they discovered her breast bindings, rather than a standard corset or brassiere.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, suddenly paranoid about her body. Personally she thought her hips were too wide and her breasts were too small.

"No miss, but you will have to remove your wrappings so we can better measure you." Sakura nodded, reaching for her bindings and letting them loose. As the cloth unraveled, her breasts spilled forward, and the shop assistant almost found herself buried in Sakura's cleavage. The girl giggled, and then poked at one breast. "They are much larger than I originally thought. We shall also have to fit you for proper undergarments." Sakura smacked at the offending finger and blushed.

"The bindings keep them tight against me and out of the way. I suppose I just never needed anything different." She muttered as she turned red. This earned another giggle, this time from not only the shop assistant, but also Kira.

"Haruno-sama, do not be offended or embarrassed. You are different from me. I have lived as a princess compared to you." Kira smiled, now clad in lavender and blue kimono. "I am sure you consider these sorts of things frivolous."

Sakura blinked a few times. The shop assistant was turning her body this way and that, lifting her arms and measuring each aspect. "Not really, it's actually something I've always wanted to do, attend a huge fancy party. I've never worn anything like these things before. A kunoichi's life isn't pretty or dainty. I suppose I just feel out of my element." Sakura had played dress up as a very little girl, but hadn't had time to really be _feminine_ since starting the academy. And no one in Konoha wore such fine things.

"You have never worn formal gowns?" Kira looked surprised.

"Well, I have a formal uniform, but no. Never anything like this. I am firstly, a Shinobi of Konoha, being a woman has always come in second." Sakura was spun again as a corset was wrapped around her.

"Then today, let us not be a shinobi and a Daimio's wife. Let us be women, sisters if you will, speak to me as if I were one of your closest friends."

Sakura smiled. "I think I'd like that." Her breath was suddenly cut off as the shop assistant tugged the corset strings tight. She was spun again, one foot at a time lifted and set into silk stockings which attached to her corset with tiny bows. Once her undergarments were deemed secure she was spun again, facing Kira and the mirror.

"Do you like it?" Kira asked.

Sakura blinked and examined her underwear. Her white corset molded her curves to an hourglass; she wore white panties and stockings to match. Her breasts pushed against the lace edges, Sakura was afraid if she bowed too low they would tumble out, her waist seemed smaller, even though the boning of the corset wasn't as tight as she'd originally thought. She suddenly thought of the covers of those perverted books Kakashi-sensei always carried around. Women on the cover looked exactly like she did now.

"Um. Honestly it makes me think of _Icha Icha_." Sakura laughed. "They're books written by a perverted sage and the women on the covers dress like this." She waved a hand down at herself. "I feel kind of ridiculous."

Kira laughed. "You look beautiful. You are also not finished. That's just the underwear. You will look like a princess yourself when we are through."

"Is my underwear supposed to be riding up my ass?" Sakura asked. Kira burst out laughing.

"You will get used to it. Now then, tell me, what is your favorite color?"

"Blue." She answered, thinking of bright eyes and a wide grin. She blushed, "but nothing too dark. I don't want to be washed out."

Kira waved her hand at one of the shop assistants who bowed and ducked out, coming back a few moments later with several Kimonos in different shaded of blue. They spread them before Sakura and her eyes widened. They were beautiful. The colors in the silk shone and several of them were intricately embroidered. One in particular caught her eye. It was the same blue as the ocean, trimmed in pale pink. The sleeves were embroidered with butterflies.

"Can I try that one?" She pointed at it, and with a nod, the assistants began to scurry around layering Sakura in the beautiful silk. She admired her reflection in the mirror after, amazed at the picture before her.

"Uzumaki-sennin will love you in this. The blue matches his eyes." Kira joined her in the mirror, a huge smile on her face. Sakura looked at her confused.

"Why would I care what Naruto thinks." She asked suspiciously.

Kira ignored her. "Perhaps it will be enough to make him apologize for whatever it is that you've banished him from your bed for." Sakura's cheeks began to flame. "I was surprised when you said he was rooming with Inuzuka-sama. When you threatened him with bodily harm for bothering you last night I knew you must be angry with him for something."

Sakura began to sputter, words refusing to form in her stunned state. Kira had known her for one day and she was starting to sound like Ino. Ino, who had been spouting ideas about her and Naruto being desperately in love and too stupid to realize it.

Sakura grit her teeth. "I am not sleeping with Naruto. He is my team mate and best friend."

"Uzumaki-sennin is not your lover?" Sakura shook her head. "oh, please forgive me. It's just the way the two of you look at each other and act around each other. I thought- well never mind. Please forgive me for assuming." Sakura forgave her. Provided of course, they drop the subject.

She spent two days shopping. She had to assume that the boys were probably doing the same, even though she didn't see them. The third day there was the festival, and Sakura spent the entire morning being dressed, hair styled and face painted. She looked like a fairy tale princess when she was finished. Of course, when no one else was looking she stashed several kunai on her person.

She met with her team so that they could attend the festival together, and upon seeing her, both boys stared at her in stunned silence. She returned the stare. They both looked incredible. Kiba wore brown, the trim looked like it might be suede, giving him a rugged look that suggested something primal. Akamaru had been bathed and freshly groomed; he looked pristine and as fluffy as Sakura had ever seen him. Naruto was clad in Sage's robes, denoting his rank. Underneath he wore black hakama pants and a white kimono style shirt.

"Wow, Sakura-chan, you look incredible." Naruto grinned and offered her his arm.

"You three don't look too bad yourselves." She took the proffered arm and the four of them entered the festivities.

Sakura must have danced with every single man there. When she finally got a moment to sit down, she found herself sitting next to Kira and her personal maid.

"Haruno-sama, I hope you are enjoying yourself."

"My feet are killing me. The night's only half over and I'm already exhausted."

"The young men are certainly vying for your attention. You are the Hoakage's apprentice, you are quite beautiful, and your reputation as a kunoichi is beginning to precede you." Sakura blushed at the compliment. "So unless you give them reason to think you are unavailable, I'm afraid they're simply going to continue to bother you."

"What exactly are you suggesting? It's not like I've given any of them the green light."

Kiria smiled. "This, Haruno-sama, is a lesson that a _shinobi_ doesn't learn, but a _woman_ does." She leaned over and pointed to her teammates on the dance floor. Kiba was dancing with one of the ambassadors' wives; however, Naruto seemed slightly uncomfortable with the fourteen year old daughter of the Daimio's sister pressing herself against him. "You should dance with Uzumaki-sennin. Pick the next waltz. When the men see you in his arms, they will realize they have no chance to win your heart."

"You really are bent on this me and Naruto thing aren't you. You remind me of Ino. And you're both wrong."

"Hanuro-sama, I can see quite clearly that Uzumaki-sennin loves you. And I think you are lying to yourself if you say you do not love him back. But, even if you don't believe me, one dance with him and the others will stop asking." Kira gave her a small nudge. "Besides, he looks as if he needs rescuing." She laughed. "My niece is slightly enamored with him. Since you all arrived, she has talked of nothing but him."

"Does she know he's a complete slob? And usually a klutz. I'm surprised he hasn't tripped over his own feet trying to dance." Kira gave her a look that once again, reminded Sakura of her blonde haired friend. She sighed. "Fine. I'll go rescue Naruto from the evil clutches of a crazy fan girl." Gathering the folds of her Kimono, Sakura made her way across the floor to them.

Kiba attempted to approach her, probably in a friendly gesture to dance, but Sakura shot him a look that clearly said to _piss off_. She tapped the young girl on the shoulder and smiled. Naruto looked grateful to see her. The girl however, gave her a false smile and bowed slightly.

"Haruno-sama."

Sakura returned the greeting and smiled back. "It looks like you're having such a great time and I hate to interrupt. However, I haven't had a chance to dance with Naruto yet tonight. Do you mind?" her younger years as a Sauske fan girl had prepared her for the fake cheerfulness and forced pleasantries.

"Not at all." The girl relinquished her hold on Naruto and as she left, gave Sakura the look of death as she left.

Naruto smiled at her and offered his arm. Sakura took it and allowed him to move her further onto the floor. The music changed and a waltz started. Kira must have done it when she'd seen Sakura ask Naruto to dance.

"Thanks by the way. I thought that girl was gonna eat me alive."

"You're welcome. You can thank me by not stepping on my feet." Sakura turned into Naruto's arms in time with the music. She was surprised to see that he actually _could_ dance. He seemed to be concentrating, saying nothing as they moved. "Naruto, are you okay? You seem distracted."

"I'm counting." He answered plainly. Well that explained it.

"I was joking about the feet thing. Even if you did step on my feet, I'm pretty sure I've had worse. A kunai in the side, for example." She raised her brows and he chuckled.

"Yeah well, you look so pretty tonight, and I didn't want to make you look bad." Sakura blushed at the compliment,

"I feel ridiculous in this. Like I'm playacting as a princess or something."

"You still look amazing."

She danced several more song with Naruto before he turned her over to the Daimio for a spin. Sakura hated to admit that Kira had been right. No unmarried man asked her to dance for the rest of the night. She danced with all the ambassadors, gave Kiba a turn, and found herself back in Naruto's arms more times than she could count.

Both her, and her blonde teammate had stayed away from the sake. Kiba on the other hand had gotten into a drinking contest with several of the ambassadors. He had drank them under the table, but was now quite drunk himself. Naruto and Sakura lifted him between them and half carried, half dragged him back to their rooms.

"Man I wish Shino and Hina-chan were here. Man I miss them. They're my best friends." Kiba leaned heavily on Naruto, who had insisted after the first few steps that he could handle the drunken Inuzuka by himself. "And seriously, have you seen those two naked? Hina-chan has such lovely-"

"Kiba!" Sakura hit him. "You are so wasted."

"And Shino, he's got these awesome shoulders."

"Yup, wasted. How much did you drink?" Sakura gave him a quick medical one-over to make sure the idiot hadn't given himself alcohol poisoning. He was fine, but Sakura wasn't sure how much of Kiba's current preferred subject she could handle. Of course, he continued to inform them what physical assets of his team he appreciated, only stopping when Naruto asked him if the two of them knew he was talking like that about them.

They deposited Kiba on his bed. Sakura was kind enough to remove his shoes before she and Naruto stepped out of the room to laugh. It was then that Sakura realized that she had been trussed into this incredibly fancy kimono, and even fancier undergarments and she had no idea how she was supposed to remove them herself. It had taken two servants to lace her up, and she knew she wouldn't be able to reach the ties on the back of the corset herself.

"I have to ask you a favor." Sakura blushed.

"Anything."

"I need help with, well just come in." Sakura pulled him into her room. "This dress is ridiculous. I have no idea how to take it off." Her face flamed, as when Naruto realized what she was asking, he blushed as well.

"You think I do?" he asked, suddenly fidgeting.

"You can at least reach the fastenings." Sakura reached behind her to untie her obi. Once released, the folds of the kimono pooled around her, the lace edges of her corset showing. She dropped the back down, grasping the front edges to keep her front covered and turned. "There should be ties, or something." She refused to acknowledge her shaking hands, clenching them into fists to stop them.

Naruto's fingers also shook as he reached for the ties of the corset. "Aren't there, aren't there servants for this?" he asked, picking apart the knot. "And what is this thing you're wearing?"

"It's late, the servants are sleeping. It's called a corset. No, I'm not showing it to you." She could feel his breath on her neck sending shivers down her spine as he loosened the lacings. She tried to think of anything other than the fact that she was standing in a dark room with her best friend undressing her.

"Huh?" Now untied, his fingers deftly pulled the strings from their eyelets. "It's like someone laced a boot up your back."

Sakura sighed in relief as the garment came loose around her. Before it came completely undone and she was left with it dangling from her stockings, she stopped him. "I can get it form here. Thanks." She pulled the kimono up around her again and turned back to him. _The dress really does match his eyes_.

"I should, uh, get to bed myself." His face was flushed and he leaned down. Sakura's heart almost stopped, half afraid, and half hoping he was going to kiss her. He planted his lips on her cheek and smiled at her before slipping out the door. Sakura stood there for a moment, her fingertips brushing her cheek where he'd pressed his lips. _Oh god, could Kira and Ino be right?_

She avoided being alone with him during the rest of their stay. Each time she thought about how his face had loomed close to hers, her heart sped up. Her forgotten fantasies of him form the day she'd seen him naked in the abandoned baths returning full force. Her change in behavior was noted by her teammates. Kiba kept looking over at her and chuckling, and Naruto seemed worried.

They'd headed back home after all the festivities. Two weeks into their journey, Naruto had told them that Jiraiya was still alive. When he told the story about how he and Tsunade and gone to bring his body back to Konoha, Sakura had almost cried. The sheer beauty of the story made her heart ache and then dance in joy. For the next few nights after, she thought Naruto was holding her a little tighter than usual at night. Inner Sakura was rejoicing.

What Kira had said, and what Ino _kept_ saying rolled in her head during the return journey. It bugged her. She couldn't be in love with Naruto, could she? He was annoying, loud, stupidly brilliant, messy, and stubborn. On the other hand, he was trustworthy, honest, devoted, strong, both emotionally and physically, and absolutely hot. He was everything she ever dreamed about, if she thought about it. He would never tell her she was weak, or not good enough. She'd always considered him an annoyance, but he was always there for her, grinning that stupid grin of his.

A week away from home, it hit her. It had to be true. There was no other person she could see herself with. The nights she'd spent sleeping next to him during the cold nights in Snow Country were probably the best sleep she'd had since the first mission she'd had to kill someone. She'd felt safe in his arms. She began to wonder about kissing him. Of course, when she thought about kissing him, she thought about how he looked shirtless, and wondered how his skin would feel under her hands.

Holy shit, she was _in love with Uzumaki Naruto!_

A/N Sort of a prequel to "Losing an apartment, Gaining a house key" somewhere in the middle, "That wasn't funny" fits in.


End file.
